Asia-Faith ~*~ Our Story

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY

2009-02-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

Asia-Faith is now 4 years old!

We had a lovely afternoon...Jason got off school early (he worked on Saturday, so they got Wednesday half day)...

We took a drive to a little harbor nearby and then stopped off at a park where we had a birthday party for Asia-Faith...then on the way home we stopped off at the beach...it was so great watch the kids having such fun in the sand!

We didn't have a traditional birthday cake...so we bought some donuts and stacked those with a candle on the top...although the matches I took with were too wet (from the humidity)...so we couldn't light the candle...but Asia-Faith just pretended to blow the candle out...too cute!

Enjoy the pics...

2 years ago....

2009-02-17T05:42:00.000-08:00

Today we are celebrating Asia-Faith being in our family for 2 years!

2 years ago today, we boarded a train, headed for Taitung to go and meet our precious little girl for the first time...

It is amazing to watch her grow and become the little person she is...although we have come to realise that she has quite a tiger in her tank...Even the boys have commented that she is going to be a toughie when she gets older - no-one will want to mess with her! And she is quite the performance artist too....I think those little performances may get her an Oscar or 2 one day.

Then she has her gentile, loving side, where she wants to hug everyone, and calls her brothers "my boys"...and herself "mommy's baby, and daddy's baby"... she is such a sweet little girl...and I am so blessed to be her mommy.

Lately she has been talking a lot about where she was born and knows she was born in Taiwan, and her boys were born in South Africa, that the boys grew in my belly, and she grew in her birthmom's belly...She loves to look at the album I made for her with photo's of our forever family day, and listen to me telling the story about the day we brought her home...

Often these talks will lead to her talking about our little foster baby Doodlebug her friends Jade and Ben and their new little brother Daniel, all of whom she knows have also been adopted...I have a feeling there will be plenty more questions and little talks in time to come...

Enjoy the pics of our little fairy~princes....

Meeting our little angel....2 years ago

Our train ride home...full of smiles and laughter

Out little angel...today, 2 years later

trying out the red marker on her lips....

Trying out her new rollerblades...

Please follow our Tribe...

2008-12-18T00:33:00.000-08:00

Well, since our adoption journey has come to an end...(there is only one more step left and that is to get Asia-Faith's South African citizenship...but that could still be a long time coming)....so there won't be all that much to post here with regards to adoption, although I will still update here from time to time...

So, please follow along with our regular blog...where you can see what our Tribe is up to in Taiwan...

You can find us here: http://tonkin-tribe.blogspot.com

Enjoy the pics...

Rag Rolling...

2008-11-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

So I decided to try rag rolling Asia-Faith's hair (and mine too)...it is quite a nifty little technique that usually is done with rags, I on the other hand found a use for the cotton wool strips that I bought!

Asia-Faith sat very still during the whole process, and then went to sleep with them in and I took them out the next morning! She looked too cute! (Nothing new....she is always cute!)...

She has this little saying that she says lately to us that is too adorable...she says "I love you so so so so much 10 dollars" (or sometimes it is 20 dollars!)....very precious....

Here are some more pics...enjoy!

Documents done....Well almost!

2008-10-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

So on Friday our dear sweet landlord took me and the kids back to the Household Registry Department. We had been there a week before to fill in documents and such to get Asia-Faith removed from the Household Registry in Taitung and moved to one here in Hsinchu...

Anyway, there were a bunch more forms to fill out, but they were able to change her "birth" name to our family name and her new Chinese name...Mei Ya...and then they even asked if I wanted an English version of the document (for NT$ 150), so I said definitely, and then they said well for an extra NT$20 I can get 2 :) Although the English version will only be available in a weeks time...

However I did get the Chinese version so we were able to head straight from the Household Registry Department to a travel agency (I was told by my landlord this is the way it is done, so who am I to question...), anyway, we went to the travel agency to apply for Asia-Faith's Taiwanese passport! That will be ready in about 2 weeks time (because of the Double Ten day coming up it will delay the paperwork a bit), but we will have her Taiwanese passport soon!!! Then after the travel agency...we headed to the Hospital, to the Health Insurance Department and were able to change her Medical card name to her "new" name (took about 10 minutes if that!), and they will send the new card in about a weeks time!!!

Wow, I have to say...Taiwan is efficient!!!

Our next step, once we have all these documents and passport in hand is to send it off to our South African liaison office and they will then start paperwork for her to become a South African citizen and get her South African passport!!! Although this part of the journey could take a good few months!!!!

Enjoy the pics.....

This is her new helmut...

Our Fairy Princess in all her cuteness...

WE HAVE OUR FINAL DECREE!!!!

2008-09-03T00:41:00.000-07:00

Did you hear me?????

Asia-Faith is now officially, finally, without a question... OURS!!!!

Jason called me at lunchtime to let me know our landlord in Yilan had called him to say some documents had arrived yesterday and she was forwarding them on to us in Hsinchu.

I called Deana (http://mlchome.org) to let her know that I should be receiving them at least by Friday....and then shortly after that our new landlord knocked on my door with some mail for us...I immediately opened it up and since it was in Chinese asked her to read it for me...just to make sure it was the final decree and not a letter saying they need more info...and true enough...IT IS OUR FINAL DECREE!!!

So one year, 6 months, 2 weeks and 3 days later...she is ours, although she has always been ours in our hearts and in our minds...but it is just great to know that legally, on paper, she is ours!

The paper chase is not yet over....there are still a few things to be done, such as remove her from her current household registry, apply for her Taiwanese passport, and then apply for South African citizenship and passport....let the fun begin!

For Doodlebug ~ 3 April 2008 - 8 August 2008

2008-08-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, on Friday, 8 August...we had to say goodbye to Doodlebug...he is now with his forever family...

It was a very sad day, well, actually a sad week, for our family as we had all grown very attached to him.

It was the first time I had been a foster mom, and honestly, I don't know if I could do it again.

For 4 months I rocked him to sleep, sang to him, tended to him as if he were my own, loved him as if he were my own, and tried to protect my heart...but before long he had crept in and now I know he will always have a special little place.

Our family still miss him lots, I miss his warm little body in my bed next to me (where he used to sleep), I finish doing dishes and think to myself I need to get Doodlebug's bottles ready for the night...only to remember he is no longer here...he was such a tiny little boy, but he has left such a big void....

~* For Doodlebug *~

I knew from the start this day would come,
And I thought I’d be prepared to send you on
I never knew it would be so hard,
You see, you have crept into our hearts.

Your beautiful smile, your precious grin,
The void you are leaving you can’t even imagine
I would do it all again, you bet I would,
For the memories you have left us are so very good!

Now my precious Doodlebug,
We need to send you on,
But please remember we love you,
And forever stay strong!

~* Starr *~
08/08/08

~* Follow Your Path *~

As I sit here holding you,
Tears streaming down my face
You are smiling and gurgling,
Oblivious to the changing pace

Your are a delight and a joy,
And you are one special boy
Filled with love and laughter,
Your memory will linger long after
Your journey with us has come to an end,
But your life is just beginning my little friend
You have a new path, Follow it well
Maybe one day our paths will cross, who can tell?

~* Starr *~
08/08/08

WE HAVE OUR FIRST RULING ~ PART 1 OF FINAL DECREE!!!

2008-07-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

WOOHOOOO!!!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME SHOUTING FROM TAIWAN???

This afternoon a mailman arrived with two envelopes that I had to sign for....

I knew it could ONLY be something about the adoption!

I opened them up and it was 4 pages long...all in Chinese!!! It did have our names and Asia-Faith's birth date on them, so I knew it had to be something regarding the adoption.

I quickly called Deana (mlchome.org), and she told me to scan and email them to her....and then I waited....

Finally a little later in the afternoon I got a call back from Deana to say......it is the first part of our Final Decree!!!!

I cannot believe it....we are almost at the finish line.....

Basically what this means is....

FIRST RULING (Part 1 of first decree)

Once the District Court hearing has been completed and the judge has had time to make a decision to finalize the adoption, he/she issues the first part of the Final Decree.

This is a short statement signed by the judge that is forwarded to the parties involved (social services organization on behalf of the adoptive family and the birth family) notifying everyone of his/her decision to finalize the adoption.

This first part of the Final Decree must go to each party and there is a waiting period of 10 days before any more can happen to ensure everyone has been notified of the judge's decision.

The First Ruling generally comes about a month after the Hearing. (although in our case it has been 8 months...buy hey, who's counting!) LOL

So the document was dated 24th July...so hopefully they count the 10 days from that date and not the date that we signed for the document....(wishful thinking?)...

After the 10 day waiting period is up, the second part of the Final Decree is forwarded to all parties. When the second part of the decree is received....the court process is DONE!!!

Then the last process will be to have her name removed from the Household registry

The household registration is a file located at local government offices in Taiwan that contains certificates and information about each person in Taiwan.

The child's household registration is attached to his/her guardian's file until the adoption has been finalized by the Taiwan courts.

Once the child has been legally adopted in Taiwan, you file with the government office to remove the file from the guardian and create a new file showing that the adoptive parent(s) are the new legal guardians.

Anyway, we are just sooooo excited right now....I had to call Jason right away, as he is already living in Hsinchu to give him the great news - and he was so excited and couldn't wait to go and tell all his work colleagues!

The boys kept shouting "She is ours!", too precious...and then Asia-Faith was running around saying "I am Asia-Faith MeiYa Tonkin" ~ Got to love them!!!

Now just to get through these next few days!!!!!

Sorry, for some reason I can't upload pics today...will try again tomorrow:(

Still waiting for final decree...and moving west!

2008-07-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the documents that we needed to sign arrived on Monday morning (21 July), and Jason and I signed them and sent them back off in the mail, and Deana (http://mlchome.org) called on Tuesday to say she received them and had taken them to the courts!

So now we wait, again,.......hopefully we will get our final decree SOON!!!!!

On another note...we are moving again!

This time we are heading to the west of the island to a place called Hsinchu - also known as the "windy city"! So from the wettest part of the island to the windiest!

Jason will be leaving on Sunday, and then he will look for an apartment for us, and then myself and the kids will probably move across around August - fun times ahead!

Enjoy the pics...

Finally we are moving forward!!!!

2008-06-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Deana today (Morning Light Children's Home), to tell me there were some documents that needed our Chinese names and signatures on so she will be sending them off to us in the mail tomorrow (Thursday)!

This is looks like the final step to our final decree!!!

We are so happy that it looks like we are getting closer to the finish line!

Well, this month of June marks the 2nd anniversary of us living in Taiwan!

If you would like a walk down memory lane with the Tonkin Tribe...go take a look at http://tonkin-tribe.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the pics....

Having a bad hair day....

Looking pretty.....

The boys had their hair cut....they were SO excited to get mohawks!

Adoption update.....

2008-06-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

So it turns out the judge required MORE from us....

A few weeks ago we were told the judge needed further information from South Africa regarding our adoption, so we finally got these, had them translated and delivered, only to be told they NOW needed the "classification of an orphan" from South Africa.

Well, we managed to get a hold of these, had them translated and sent off in the mail to Deana (Morning Light Children's Home), she received the documents on Saturday, and delivered it to the courts, Monday, 16th June....

So now we wait.....we are hoping this is all the judge needs and will now sign that final decree already!!!

Enjoy the pics...

Asia-Faith......our Rock Star!!!

2008-05-13T22:10:00.001-07:00

Here are a few videos of Asia-Faith taken last month....she loves to sing and dance - she is part Ami (an aborigine tribe in Taiwan, and they are known for their singing and dancing)..... and did I mention that she loves music???

Just a little info about Ami:

Ami
The Ami, with a population of 123,000--the largest of all of Taiwan's aborigine tribes--are mainly plains dwellers, living in the valleys and coastal plains of eastern Taiwan. The Ami are divided into five groups based on geography, custom, and language.

The Ami began to use oxen in cultivating paddies relatively early. Fishing is an important part of their economy, but hunting is now solely recreational. In Ami society, kinship is matrilineal, but men's clubs are well organized. Ami villages are relatively large, each with a population of between 200 and more than 1,000. The Ami are the only aboriginal tribe on the island of Taiwan to practice the art of pottery making.

The Ami harvest festivals have evolved from warrior training. Nowadays sports, symbolic fishing in the open seas, and singing and dancing are observed throughout the villages in a series of celebrations in July and August.

Other information

Family affairs including finance of the family are decided by the female householder, in the Ami tradition. Not many people may have seen the Ami, but many people may have heard the Ami. The musical project Enigma used an Ami chant in their song "Return to Innocence" in their second album, The Cross of Changes. This song was the theme song of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The main chorus of it was sung by Difang (Chinese name Kuo Ying-nan) and his wife, Igay (Chinese name Kuo Hsiu-chu), part of a Taiwanese aboriginal cultural performance group. An unauthorized recording was made while they were on tour.

Famous people of Ami ancestry include baseball player Chin-hui Tsao, and singers Chang Chen-yue and Tank.

The most important traditional ceremony is the Harvest Festival. The Ami's Harvest festival is to show the people's thanks and appreciations to the gods and to pray for harvest in the next coming year. It takes place every July to September

Shower time...

2008-03-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Last time she was in the bath....now she is in the shower (or should I say the bucket!) LOL

Enjoy the pics.....

Outing to a kindy....

2008-03-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

Our friends Thomas and Wendy go to her brother's kindy once a week in Suao and they invited us along for the ride. The kids had a great time....

Enjoy the pics...

Playing in the park

2008-03-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

We haven't had rain for a while, so we have been spending a lot of our time at the park...

Enjoy the pics...

New Shoes...

2008-03-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

We went to buy the kids new shoes....and I saw these shoes with the little ladybirds and couldn't resist them for Asia-Faith.

I didn't realise when I first showed them to Asia-Faith that they were squeaky shoes! And then she stood up and walked in them.....it was too late to take them away from her - she loves them...fortunately the sales lady saw the look of horror on my face, and so she showed me that the "squeak" is removable! (Thank goodnes!) LOL

Take a look...aren't they gorgeous???

Bathtime...

2008-02-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

Having fun in the bath...

Enjoy the pics...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2008-02-25T03:23:00.001-08:00

Asia-Faith is 3 years old today!

She slept in this morning, so we woke her up singing "Happy Birthday" in English and Chinese.

The boys helped her open up her presents, and then helped her play with them:O)

We actually had no rain today for a change, so we met up with Kim, Sheldon and Clarice at the park and had a little party. Asia-Faith had a blast, all the kids did, you could tell by dirty faces and clothes!!! LOL

Still no news about our final decree.....if anything this adoption is teaching me patience! LOL

Enjoy the pics....

1st Forever Family Day Anniversary!!!!

2008-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!!!!

Today, 1 year ago, we brought our beautiful little Fairy Princess home.

It has been an amazing year, watching her grow, learning to speak, getting into squabbles with her brothers, becoming an independent little person, warm hugs, soft kisses, painting nails, buying pink, dancing, singing, drawing, having "tea", holding my hand, putting "pretties" in her hair, and hearing those precious words "I love you mommy"!

We are still waiting for our final decree, but we believe it will be here any day now....so we wait and pray (not so patiently though)! LOL

You can read more about our Forever Family Day here:

http://adoptingasia-faith.blogspot.com/2007/09/forever-family-day17-february-2007.html

Enjoy the pics.....

THEN.....
NOW.....

Asia-Faith and Dora

This is how she likes to sleep - with her thumb in her mouth, and a hand on the zip of either her pillow or her pillow-case...

Falling asleep....too precious

Feeding the goats...

Wearing her brothers undies....don't quite know what was going on inside that little head of hers...maybe she was wanting to be Superman!

Having a bad hair day....

Asia-Faith and Kitty...taking their morning nap

Having fun at the park

Chinese New Year Festivities, Yilan Sports Park, Taiwan

2008-02-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

We took the kids to the sports park to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The kids all had a sleep before, and we headed down the park at around 11pm - we wanted to be there for the countdown....

The park looked beautiful with all the trees decorated with lights and lanterns - very beautiful!

At midnight they had an awesome fireworks display, with coloured dancing water too - lovely!

They of course also had the dragon dancing and various other activites going on too.

When we were leaving we noticed there was a very long queue and we weren't sure what everyone was waiting in line for, then we found out hong bao were being handed out (envelopes with "lucky" money - in this case NT$10, but it was also a scratch and win card too - not to sure what you win - we have to get someone to translate the card for us), anyway, we were not too keen to stand in the queue that went on for ever... so Tiffany (our nephew's girlfriend who has been living here in Taiwan now for a few months), decided to befriend some friendly people in the front of the queue and when it came time to receive her hong bao - she asked for 4!!!! Only Tiffany could do this and get away with it....then again we thought that they probably were not going to say no to a blonde foreigner!!! LOL

It was really great to experience another Lunar New Year here in Taiwan.... Last New Year (February 18), we had just brought Asia-Faith home.....so next week is our 1 year Forever Family day:O)

Enjoy the pics.....

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival. It starts at the beginning of Spring. It is one of the three most important Chinese festivals.

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Chinese use a lunar calendar, therefore the date of the Spring Festival changes each year. It takes place at some time during the end of January or the beginning of February.

This year it falls on February 7, 2008 and is the Year of the Rat.

People born in the Year of the Rat are said to be charming, hard-working, passionate, and practical.

The Chinese calendar has a 12 year cycle and each year is named after an animal. People born in each of these years are said to have certain characteristics.

The origin of the New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years, involving a series of colorful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is Nian, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast that the ancients believed would devour people on New Year's Eve. To keep Nian away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night, because Nian is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nian away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is gong si (congratulations).

To prepare for the New Year, Chinese clean their houses (it is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck). They also repay any money they owe, buy new clothes, and may even get their hair cut.

They decorate their houses with with red paper deocorations (spring couplets) and signs that wish peace and luck for the coming year.

Spring couplets are paper scrolls and squares inscribed with blessings and auspicious words, such as "good fortune," "wealth," "longevity," and "springtime." The paper squares are usually pasted upside down, because the Mandarin word for "upside down," dao, is a homonym of the word "arrival." Thus, the paper squares represent the "arrival" of spring and the "coming" of prosperous times.

On New Year's Eve family members who are no longer living at home make a special effort to return home for reunion and share a big family dinner. Special foods are served such as hot pot, dumplings or fish. After dinner the adults give the children hong bao (red envelopes containing lucky money), and they also try to stay up all night to welcome the New Year, as it was long believed that by doing so on New Year's Eve, their parents would live a longer life.

Some families even hold religious ceremonies after midnight to welcome the God of the New Year into their homes, and set off fireworks to scare away evil spirits.

One of the first things to be done on New Year's morning, is offering ritual homage to one's ancestors. Reverence is then paid to the gods, followed by younger family members paying their respects to their living elders. New clothes are worn, and visits are made to friends, neighbors, and relatives to exchange good wishes of gong xi fa cai (which means "congratulations and prosperity"). As an occasion for reconciliation, it's a time when old grudges are cast aside amidst an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.

The second day of the New Year Festival is the day that married daughters return to their parents' home. If she is a newlywed, her husband must accompany her and bring gifts for her family.

Certain negative superstitions and taboos at this time have never quite lost their force. For example, people believe it is unlucky to sweep the floor during the first five days of the Lunar New Year, because one might accidentally sweep one's good luck and wealth out of the house.

Bad language and talk of death are severely frowned upon. If a dish is broken, it is vital to say suei suei ping an (which means "peace throughout the year") as quickly as possible.

Joss sticks and altar candles must be kept burning day and night to encourage longevity; and in some households, knives and scissors are put away so that no one will accidentally cut the "thread of good luck" in the year to come.

A few of these superstitions and rituals have a spiritual aspect to them. At the stroke of midnight, the doors to the temples are thrown wide open and people surge forward in an attempt to be the first to place their incense sticks into the censer, as another long-standing tradition states that the first person to do so will be blessed with good luck throughout the coming year.

The Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve dinner is the most important meal of the year. The notion of getting together with the family will always lie at the heart of Lunar New Year celebrations.

~ Gong xi fa cai ~

~ Congratulations and Prosperity ~

Animal	Branch	Dates
鼠 Rat	子 Zi	February 19, 1996	February 7, 2008
牛 Ox	丑 Chou	February 7, 1997	January 26, 2009
虎 Tiger	寅 Yin	January 28, 1998	February 14, 2010
兔 Rabbit	卯 Mao	February 16, 1999	February 3, 2011
龍 Dragon	辰 Chen	February 5, 2000	January 23, 2012
蛇 Snake	巳 Si	January 24, 2001	February 10, 2013
馬 Horse	午 Wu	February 12, 2002	January 31, 2014
羊 Sheep	未 Wei	February 1, 2003	February 19, 2015
猴 Monkey	申 Shen	January 22, 2004	February 8, 2016
雞 Rooster	酉 You	February 9, 2005	January 28, 2017
狗 Dog	戌 Xu	January 29, 2006	February 16, 2018
豬 Pig	亥 Hai	February 18, 2007	February 5, 2019

11 Months today...

2008-01-17T03:52:00.000-08:00

So today is our 11 month anniversary of Asia-Faith being with us!

Wow, how time flies....

She really is such a blessing in our life, and we love her to bits!

I really love hearing her say "I love you mom", those are really sweet, precious words.

Still no news on our final decree though, still praying it will be done in time so we can head back to South Africa for my sister's wedding in February and to introduce Asia-Faith to the family! Gotta keep the faith!

Enjoy the pics...

Her "cute-look"

Wishing you all...

2008-01-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Our first Christmas with Asia-Faith...

2007-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

This was our first Christmas with our little fairy princess!

She was so excited to open her presents and was really happy to get a new "baby", who she now calls "Dora" and her pram and baby bottles! She is a real little mommy!

The pram has the Disney Princesses on it, which she loves, since she has a pillow with them on too, so everytime she sees the Princesses, she says "pillow", so she was really excited to find her pram had them on too. She also got a story book, all about the Disney Princesses - she was really pleased with that!

Of course she got lots of other little goodies too, including her Dora puzzles, little bangles and a lovely little pink cellphone in a fluffy pink bag from Sheldon and Clarice.... so she was really spoilt!

We were all so glad to spend our first Christmas with Asia-Faith and we are so blessed for her to be a part of our lives, and cannot imagine our life without her!

Enjoy the pics....

This was a few days before Christmas with her new sneakers from Granny Mouse...

From our Tribe to yours....

2007-12-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

Glitter Graphics

10 month anniversary and our Homestudy appointment

2007-12-17T08:00:00.001-08:00

Well, today is our 10 month anniversary of Asia-Faith being home with us!

It is also the day of our Homestudy, which went very well.

The supervisor came with a Social Worker, and we invited our friend Wendy (who is Taiwanese) to help translate (although the supervisor did speak a bit of English).

He just asked us a few questions, like our motivation for adopting, Jason's salary, and what is our "nurture plan", (not too sure what that was, but he seemed satisfied with our answer), and then he had a quick look around the apartment.

He said he would have the report off to the judge in the next few days, so hopefully when the judge gets it he won't take too long to make his final ruling!

I am so glad to have another step behind us!

Enjoy the pics...

(She has a mouthful of food in these pics - looks like a hamster!)

Her "cute" look.....

The sunset today...

We have a Homestudy date!!!

2007-12-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!!!

Well, finally we have a date for our Homestudy!

We asked our friend Wendy to call the Social Workers to find out when they will come and do a Homestudy (Wendy is Chinese so she made the call for us - I tried to call them myself a few days ago - with no luck - they did not understand me at all, nor I them! LOL), so Wendy made the call, and then this afternoon I got a call from the Social Worker (who could speak very little English, but we were able to make a date), anyway, I was quite surprised because she asked when it would be convenient for "me".... well I was tempted to say she could come right on over, but since the house looked like a whirlwind had ripped through it and the kids and dad were all at the park, I suggested they come on Monday morning at 10am!

So Monday at 10am they will be here! And believe it or not, Monday is the 17th December, which means it will be our 10 month anniversary of Asia-Faith being home with us!
I am just so glad to finally be another step closer to finalising the adoption!

On another note, last weekend was spent at the hospital with Asia-Faith. On Thursday evening (or rather 3am Friday morning), I noticed her breathing was very fast - she woke up and came to our bed, which she doesn't normally do - she usually goes down at night and sleeps right through, so I knew something was not right. I woke Jason up and said to take her to the hospital to get her checked out (the other kids were sleeping and I don't drive, well I ride a scooter, but don't drive cars...), so Jason and Willow-River (who had woken up), took her to the hospital and when I called about an hour later Jason said they were on their way home - turns out another hour had passed and he still wasn't home, so I called again and was told they were admitting her and he was comming to pick me and the other boys up to take us to the hospital. I was so nervous because I didn't know what was wrong, and none of my kids have been in hospital (well, Willow-River had his tonsils out, but he was only in hospital for the morning).

Anyway, we arrived at the hospital and Asia-Faith had been given stickers and clips for her hair and was really the centre of attraction at 5am in the emergency room! She had an IV drip in and was being admitted to the hospital. The doctor had done chest xrays and taken blood and it turns out her white blood count was higher than normal, and his diagnosis was Bronchial Pneumonia.

We had to stay in the hospital for 3 days! It was quite a different experience to South African hospitals in that you have to take your own food and drinks, none are supplied by the hospital, visiting hours seem to be anytime, no limit to visitors or the number of people staying in a bed! Our first night there the bed next to me was a lady and she had 3 kids sleeping in bed with her - don't know which of them was sick, and in the bed next to her was obviously a friend who had another child with her! They left that day, and I was not on my own for long, because soon the 2 beds were occupied again. There was no tv and I couldn't even talk to the moms in the room with me as they didn't speak English and I can't speak Chinese, so Asia-Faith and I played a bit and I tried to catch up on a bit of sleep, but not all that possible when you have the fellow bedmates having their kids with them all day (not the sick ones, but the siblings), so sometimes in our room we would have up to 9 kids (if mine were there too)!

On the Friday night the boys all stayed with Kim (Jason was working till 9pm), so the boys went with Kim before lunch and stayed the night. It was Keanu-Storm's first sleepover and I was really worried he wouldn't make it through the night, and when Kim called me and said he would be fine, that it was me who would struggle the most, well, I just burst into tears! My little boy and his first sleepover! And he DID manage fine and was ok - all of them were - My Boys!!!

On Saturday when the doctor came he said Asia-Faith would probably need to stay until Monday!

Then on Sunday morning the doctor came and checked Asia-Faith over and said we could go home! (They were having a political rally opposite the hospital so it was very noisy and the doctor said it would be quieter at home for her, so I mentioned that I have 3 boys at home - it is not much quieter! LOL) . But I was just so glad to be going home! And the total bill for the hospital and medication NT$170 (about R34)....Because Asia-Faith is aborigine she has free health insurance as long as she is living in Taiwan!

Today Jason took her to the clinic for a checkup and the doctor is happy with her, and has given a few more meds to take and she is on the mend!

Now we just wait for the end of the weekend to have our Homestudy - will let you know how it goes!

Enjoy the pics...

Little Drummer Girl

Our Court Update

2007-11-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

We left on the train to Taitung on Wednesday evening. It was a 4 hour train ride and we arrived in Taitung at 10:45pm. Our translator, Linda, was very kind to pick us up from the station and take us to a hotel where we spent the night. Keanu-Storm and Asia-Faith were with us and Willow-River and Talis-Rain spent the night (their first sleepover in Taiwan), with their friends, Sheldon and Clarice (and their parents of course, Kim and Colin).

Linda picked us up on Thursday morning and we headed for the courts. Jason and I were dressed up a bit (as I thought we should for court), only to find everyone else there was in jeans and sneakers! LOL

The birthmom was also there, and once again I had that bitter-sweet feeling. It is the word I use to describe our time with the birthmom as I have no other words to describe it.

We sat with Linda while we waited our turn (our case was delayed by 2 or 3 cases), and we discussed various questions that may come up with the judge, so that she was prepared with our answers, and then it was our turn to go in....

The courts are very efficient, with a computer monitor on each table so you can see exactly what is being typed up as you speak (although it wasn't much use to us because it was all in Chinese!) LOL

The judge asked us a few questions, like why do we want to adopt, can we afford it financially, how long do we plan on living in Taiwan and then also the basics like where we live and work, and then it went on to the "official" paperwork, wanting to know who translated the documents, and I told him a company in Taipei. Then on one of the documents from SA Department of Home Affairs, it was signed by an "Acting Director". Obviously when the word "acting" is translated into Chinese, it becomes questionable, because the judge asked us what we mean by "acting", so we had to explain that it means 2nd in charge. That seemed to satisfy him and he actually had a bit of a chuckle! LOL

Then he started asking the birthmom questions and Linda (our translator) told us that the father had not signed any documents, however the birthmom said he can't be found and gave the judge his last known address. I was a bit worried about this, but then the judge said that the next step is a Social Worker will visit us at our home (Homestudy), and then the relevant documents would be sent to us. I asked him if we would need to appear in court again, and he said no. Then we had to sign a document and that was that!

It was such a nerve-wrecking experience to be in court, and the birthmom kept saying how nervous she was too being questioned - it almost felt like I was in the principal's office in school! LOL

When we were leaving the courts, Jason mentioned that this would be the last time we would be seeing the birthmom, and of course, me being the emotional soul that I am, I started tearing up and then the birthmom asked Linda what was wrong and she told the birthmom that I was thankful to her for what she has done, and to that the birthmom replied that she is the one who is thankful to us!

After that Linda took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch and then to her parents business (they manufacture wood), and then it was time to catch the train back home...

I am just so relieved to finally have the court date behind us, and that all went well.

Enjoy the pics.....

The Tribe that Asia-Faith is from...

The view from our hotel balcony...

Can you see the ocean?

With Linda, our Translator...

We have a court date!!!

2007-11-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

Well, we have finally received a court date! We got our notification from the courts on Monday that we are to appear in court next week Thursday, 15 November, at 11:20am. We are so thrilled to finally be entering the courts! Fortunately, during our Chinese tutoring on Tuesday evening, I asked our tutor to please translate the document from the court for us, and she told us that the court needs a copy of the South African adoption law AND translated into Chinese!!! This sent me into a tailspin...nosedive....panic attack....

So I had to go through my archives...files....emails......folders.....everything I have on record, and then I contacted a friend I met through my internet searches on adoption, who happens to be an adoption lawyer in the USA, but familiar with SA law, and she happened to have what I needed! Then it was trying to find a translator at such short notice - then the question - does it need to be a qualified/certified translator or not??? Well, lots of friends offered their support in finding people to translate and such, and then Deana mailed me with a contact in Taipei who is a certified translator and can get the document to me within 2 days! (at a fee of course), but at least it will be done in time for court!

So the headache I have is lifting and the knot in my stomach is slowly undoing itself!

I was so worried that the document would not be done in time and we might have had to postpone the date!

But, alas all is well, and we plan on leaving on Wednesday evening by train, which takes about 4 hours, and then we will be in court on Thursday at 11:20am. We also have a translator, Linda, who will be meeting us at the station and assisting us in court.

So please keep us in your prayers that all goes smoothly!

Enjoy the pics.....

Mommy did our nails....

Can you tell she has older brothers?

Pretty in PInk

2007-10-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Building Blocks

2007-10-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Still no court date....

2007-10-15T02:43:00.000-07:00

There is still no news about a court date....

Deana is away in the States for a few months, however she did manage to get a hold of the social worker who told her that the judge still has not set a date.....but as soon as he does we will be notified... so I guess we just wait!

Asia-Faith has been home with us for 8 months already! Wow!!!

She is just such a precious little thing! She loves to have her nails painted and her photo taken these days. She also LOVES brushing her teeth and washing her face in the morning with Daddy... she boots him out of bed so she can brush her teeth:o)

I am in the process of putting together her scrapbook all about "Gotcha Day", and looking back at the photo's of that day, and seeing her today, wow, what a difference!

Asia-Faith on Gotcha Day...

Asia-Faith today....

She continues to be a joy and a blessing to our lives....

Enjoy the pics....(there are lots today!)

FuShan Nature Reserve, Ilan

Mommy and me....

The "Cute Look"...

Me and my baby brother....

By the way... that is cheese under her chin!
She is doing her "cute look" and didn't know what to do with the cheese! LOL

We have moved...to Yilan

2007-09-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

We have finally moved and settled in Ilan! Boy, what an adventure we had these last few weeks.

When the time was approaching for us to move, we heard roads were still closed due to mudslides and rockfalls, so we weren't too sure if we would actually move on the 15 August as originally planned. Also because we were organising a move through a friend using her friend, so it is kind of like playing "broken down telephone"!!! LOL

Anyway, then the threat of another typhoon, this time upgraded to a category 5, arrives a few days before we are due to move! Jason and I start getting a bit concerned because if the 2 previous ones flooded our town, what will it be like with a category 5????
Wednesday morning, the day we are due to move, I am checking weather reports, and they are confirming that the typhoon will make landfall by Saturday. Jason and I decide it is time for the kids and I to pack up and go!!! So I throw the rest of our stuff that I had not yet packed into boxes (running around like a mad woman, telling the kids to stay in their room until I tell them they can come out - except for Willow-River, who was my helper!)...

We then call for a taxi to take us to Kaohsiung (an hour or so by car, AND during 5pm rush hour), just as we are about to arrive in Kaohsiung, Asia-Faith, who had been sitting in the back started getting restless, so I put her on my lap in the front, and then guess what??? She vomitted all over me!!!! YUCK!!! I guess she was feeling a little car-sick! Then the taxi driver hands me a plastic packet, and his tissues, and there is only 1 tissue left in the box! Just then we arrive at the High Speed Rail (train), and we all get out of the taxi! Now we have 4 kids, 1 stroller, 1 cat who we are trying to hide in a basket in a bag as we did not know if they let cats on the train, (and I forgot about her when we packed the taxi, and we put her in the boot! I was really praying she would survive the hour in the boot - she did!)... Not to mention we had a big bag of our clothes (I tried to pack light, but you know me, always need to take extras - just in case!), the computer, and my handbag - and noone around to help, not even a trolley!

Next stop were the toilets as we had to get all the puke cleaned up and get changed, then we headed off to go and buy tickets for the train. By this time I was now exhausted! Our train was due to leave at around 7:30pm or so, so we headed straight to where we needed to board. Finally we all got on the train, the kids loved it, but I just couldn't wait to get to our final destination. We were to arrive in Taipei and then still another train trip to Ilan (2 hours or so)...

We finally arrive in Taipei, and just as I am getting all the bags together the boys say there is daddy! I thought they were being funny as we were still on the train and dad would be upstairs waiting, but no! There he was!!! He had bought a ticket so that he could get on the platform and meet us there!!! I was SOOOOOO happy to see him!!!
We decided to take a taxi to Ilan (Loudong actually), as it would be alot quicker than the train. So we took the taxi and arrived in Loudong at the apartment Jason had been staying with a friend, Sam. I was just so happy to be back with my man and almost to our new home!!!

We stayed with Sam for a few days, and then on the Saturday the typhoon made landfall!!!! Wow, it was something else! The wind was howling and the trees were almost doubled over. Once it was over we went for a walk and there were just so many broken trees lying around, but not all that much other damage.

Then Sunday we finally moved to our apartment! It was the first time I was seeing it and it is really great!

We only managed to get our stuff from Donggang about 2 weeks later, so now all is well and we (or should I say *I*) have finished unpacking, and everything has basically found its home:)

As for the adoption process, well, the papers were sent to Ilan courts, only to be returned to the Taitung courts because that is where Asia-Faith's household registry is held. So we are waiting yet again for a court date... hoping it will be at the end of September.

Enjoy the pics....

During our transition phase in Ilan, waiting to move into our apartment....

Taking a walk after the typhoon....take note of the trees....

Dragonflies....

The local dog pack....

We are supposed to be moving tomorrow.... but

2007-08-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

There has been flooding here in Donggang, and there is no way in or out of Donggang!

Unfortunately we may have to delay our move for a week or so! Can you believe it???

The kids are loving the fact that the roads are flooded, and think it is great excitement! I on the other hand wish I could be as excited as them about it, however, I have the logistical thoughts going on like how are we going to get to the shops to get supplies? How will the mover be able to get here??? And that means J won't be comming as no busses are running!

So up until now we have had an earthquake (last week), which measured 5.7, a typhoon (more like a tropical rainstorm), but with huge winds that I thought our windows were going to blow out! And now floods! It has been raining so much, and the thunder - WOW - it is like a continuous rolling sound that goes on and on! Never heard it like that before!

What fun and J has missed it all as he has been in Ilan!

Well, we are all packed up and ready to go, now it looks like we will be staying for another week:( But it is one of those things.... can't control the weather! Oh and they are expecting another typhoon in the next day or so... unfortunately all the news on tv is in Chinese, so we don't get all the info, I try check online as best as I can as far as the news goes, and sometimes will bump into a lady downstairs who speaks a bit of English and she fills me in!

Ok, well please keep us in your prayers as the boys are also very dissapointed that we are not moving now - or maybe we will - we just have to keep our eye on the weather - so I will update you all again as soon as I know more....

Enjoy the pics.....

These next few pics were taken at our Church on their 1st anniversary, which was also conincidentaly our last day there together as a family.... :o(

2007-07-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

So it has been a week since Jason left for Yilan, and we still have another 4 to go!

It hasn't been too bad, the kids have been really cooperative most of the time, and have been spending quite a bit of time playing computer games and watching movies and eating lots of popcorn:) SUMMER VACATION - great timing...

Thankfully we stocked up on groceries before Jason left, so we just really have to buy bread, milk and water every other day or so, and fresh veggies from the market. However the boys don't really enjoy the trip to the morning market. It does get very crowded and the boys hate the smell (raw fish, pork, tofu, and many other smells that all blend together in the air and seems to get trapped). Nevermind the fact that me with 4 kids, 3 obviously belonging to me and 1 that doesn't look like me, but more like the locals, we draw much attention and finger pointing and questioning looks, and sometimes questions or more like a game of charades, and of course the ever dreaded stroking of the hair or face or wanting to take our photo! My kids, even a year later have not gotten used to this! Then we will even get those who want to practice their english, although all they know is how to count to five, so they will look at you shouting 1,2,3,4,5! Very funny!!!

But I sure will miss our little town of Donggang. There are some really sweet little ladies who are always quick to give us little treats, whether they are bananas, or some other strange looking fruit or vegetable, that I usually have no idea what to do with! And sweets for the kids, which are usually awefull, not at all like the sweets we are acustomed to, however I have trained the kids to politely take the sweet and say "xie,xie" , smile and wave and just keep on walking, and do what you like with the sweet when we get home (it usually ends up in the trash though).

Asia-Faith is really starting to pick up words now too - this is a list of words she knows:

mama

dada

her brothers names: River, Storm, Rain (although she mostly calls Talis-Rain "Talis"...)

nana

papa

Mel

Kitty

bottle

nio nai (milk)

yes

no (probably her first word LOL)

Rory

pillow

hello

how are you

I love you

Wo Ai Ni

xie xie

thank you

eyes

ears

nose

mouth

bum

poo (points to her diapers and says poo - too cute, although she mainly does it in the toilet now too)

yay (which she says when she is done on the toilet, or if one of us are done on the toilet)

"baby" - that is the name of her doll.

Although her pronounciation of the words aren't 100% yet, I still understand what she is saying. She also loves to sing and for the 2 songs she does, she needs her props. For her fist song "You are My Sunshine", her lullaby, she needs to have her "baby" to rock while she sings this. For the second song, "Jesus Loves Me", she needs to have her story book which has this song in that she "reads" from when she sings. It is so cute, because everytime you start to sing either of these songs, she holds up her hand and says "wait" (oh, another word of hers), and runs and gets either of these 2 things, depending on the song...is she cute or what?

It is my big boy's 8th birthday tomorrow! I can't believe it, it just seems like yesterday that I found out I was pregnant, I can remember it so vividly like it was just yesterday, and knowing it was 8 years ago already! WOW, time does go fast!

Enjoy the pics...

Documents are on their way.....

2007-07-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

I had a call from Deana this morning, from Morninglight Children's Home, (http://mlchome.org/), she had just left the post office. Our adoption documents have finally been sent off to Yilan courts and we should be getting a court date within the next 2 to 4 weeks! I just hope that we have moved to Yilan by then otherwise we have to postpone the date we are given. However Deana doesn't seem to think it will be before 18 August, so I am really hoping that it will be soon after this date.

Once we get our court date then we appear in court (and either we hire a translator from the courts, at a fee, or we bring our own), then after the court date we have a social worker come to our home for a homestudy, and then she writes a report (which apparently can take her a month), and then it goes to the judge, who then I think will make his decision. Apparently it takes about 3 months, and we might have to go to court about 3 times, but then after all is said and done, she will legally and forever be our little Princess!!!!

Jason leaves for Yilan this weekend (Saturday). He will be riding my scooter there, so please keep him in your prayers. He will be stopping over in Taitung and staying with Luke and Deana for the night, and then continuing on to Yilan in the morning. The kids and I will be going up on the weekend of the 18th August. Not too sure which day though, just waiting for the mover to confirm a date with us. We will be taking the high speed rail - don't fancy an 8 hour trip with 4 kids and a cat, so the high speed rail it is - in 2 hours we will be in Taipei, and then another hour or 2 by train to Yilan (depending on if it is the express or the milk train)...As much as I enjoy our little apartment and the friends we have here in Donggang, I am looking forward to our new home!

Enjoy the pics...

Bad hair day....

Sleeping Beauty.....

Can you tell she enjoys her food???

Aint she sweet???

Left SA 1 year ago already!

2007-06-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that this month marks our 1 year anniversary of leaving South Africa and moving to Taiwan! Time has really gone so quickly!!!

We are still waiting for a date for the courts to finalise Asia-Faith’s adoption.

The birth mother and the social worker have been a bit slack in getting papers signed – though she was supposed to have signed and registered with the courts yesterday (Thursday), so please pray that she did! Then we have to wait 2-4 weeks for a court date, and then the judge takes another 4-8 weeks to make his decision!!! So please keep this in your prayers….

We are more than likely going to make the move to Ilan on the north-east part of the island. The boys are particularly excited about the impending move! I am just concerned about the logistics of it all!

We had the Dragon Boat Festival here over the weekend. Monday and Tuesday were a public holiday (so now Jason has to work on Saturday – as if it were a Monday, to make up for the day off!). Anyway, our friend Bryan was in one of the teams that were racing and their team, Fooyin Hospital, came in second place!

We were invited to their celebratory dinner on Tuesday night at a local seafood restaurant here in Donggang! Dinner was interesting! Bryan did tell the staff that we only wanted to eat COOKED food and NO VITAL ORGANS!!! We started off with asparagus and bamboo (not too bad actually), with a very sweet mayonnaise, then we had fried rice with what they call “Cherry Blossom Shrimps” – they are VERY tiny and look almost pinky/transparent, anyway, the dish was quite tasty! We also had sweet potatoes that were coated in a sweet syrup (like toffee apple syrup) – it was very nice. Then they brought a soup with a whole fish lying on the bottom of the bowl (head, eyes and all!!!) – we told Bryan he could take that to his table! Then we tried “fern” – yes just like the fern that grows in the garden. We also had prawns (which I love, but would have preferred if they had been butterflied instead of just boiled), but they were good nonetheless…and we had clams! While I had a clam in my mouth and trying very hard to swallow it – Jason mentioned that is was like trying to swallow sn*t! I tried really hard not to spit it out, and only managed to get one down!!! The boys just ate a bowl of plain rice (I had made sure they had eaten dinner before we left home – just in case!)… And of course Asia-Faith was willing to try anything!

Here is a bit about the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival:

Dated : 5th day of the 5th lunar month

Qu Yuan
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous rice (糯米)wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon boats.
The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. This regatta（赛舟会）commemorates the death of Qu Yuan , an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. Qu was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)（战国时期）. He was upright, loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified Qu, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. Realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu grabbed a large stone and leapt into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. Nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. Thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the State of Qin.

The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the spirit of Qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile（爬行动物）in the river had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river. During the Duanwu Festival, a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds（莲子）, chestnuts（栗子）, pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. The pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours. The dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover Qu's body.

A typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side. A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern（船尾）. A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red, green and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong（铜锣）beaters and cymbal（铙钹）players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. There are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for Qu. All of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. The races are held among different clans, villages and organizations, and the winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals.

Enjoy the pics....

Special Songs....

2007-06-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

So today, Jason, Rory and the boys went to go swim in the mountains (but my bike broke down on the way, and the last I heard they were having it fixed and then heading off to the mountains), so I was going to spend the afternoon scrapbooking - instead, I started looking at the youtube videos!

I still have to figure out how to add them from youtube onto here, but for now you can follow the link to the songs and take a listen...

Jason and my song "Woman", by John Lennon http://youtube.com/watch?v=PaLfDnShEn0 - it is such a beautiful song. It was our wedding song that Jason actually sang and played (on guitar)for me...

Each of the kids have their own songs, which I would sing to them when they were still in my tummy and when they were born, right up until this day, I still sing them their little song.

When Willow-River was born, he had quite a difficult birth, and he was crying so much when he came out, and Jason just followed the nurse around and sang him his song "Jamaican Farewell", sung by Harry Belafonte, http://youtube.com/watch?v=uX5mNnJUcRY and it stopped his crying straight away! This worked for quite a few years with him too. Everytime we would go somewhere in the car, or he wanted to go to sleep, we would sing his song, and within seconds he would be asleep!

Talis-Rain's song is "Dream a Little Dream", sung by Ella Fitzgerald, http://youtube.com/watch?v=xV7rQlbjr7w and Keanu-Storm's song is "Baby Mine" sung by Bette Midler, http://youtube.com/watch?v=rwVLeHyiKJE and was used in the movie Dumbo.

Asia-Faith's song is "You Are My Sunshine", sung by Emmylou Harris and Glen Campbell http://youtube.com/watch?v=o57SI9nK7bQ - this song was chosen by Talis-Rain, and Asia-Faith loves hearing it, she even tries to sing along and will usually fetch her "baby" and rock her - too cute!

Enjoy the pics...

Scenery from our apartment....

Storm in his "car"....

If Storm can do it...... so can I!!!

Ok, maybe not yet.....

Her Dedication....

2007-05-23T01:26:00.000-07:00

We had our little princess dedicated on Sunday, 20 May at our little church in Donggang. All Asia-Faith wanted to do was have the microphone! Too cute:o)

We are planning a move accross the island, to Ilan, on the north east coast. Jason will be going there by bus this evening as he has an interview on the weekend.

I have been told that Ilan is beautiful, lots of fresh air (less polluted), open spaces, greenery and lots of nature... Unfortunately it has lots of rain:o( and not to mention that the east coast is where MOST of the earthquakes take place......

There are also lots of scenic places around the north to visit, and also plenty of places for hiking and nature trails, AND we will also only be about 40mins (by car) from Taipei!

So please say a little pray for us, that we make the right decision for our family.

Enjoy the pics....

Trip to Taitung....

2007-05-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

We went to Taitung last week by train.

We were to go to register for the adoption on Friday, however when we arrived at the offices, we were told the birthmother hadn't arrived and also they needed more documents for us so unfortunately we couldn't register for the adoption, so it is delayed a little longer.

When we do finally register it will take about 2 to 4 weeks to get a court date and then the judge takes a month or so to make his decision and then it becomes final, so we are nearly there! I guess the governement departments are the same all over the world! No one is in a big hurry to get anything done....

We arrived in Taitung at around 6:30pm on Thursday, and Deana and Luke fetched us from the station and took us straight to the apartment. We unpacked and then took a walk around to find dinner. The kids got hotdogs from the 7-11 and J, Rory and I had "Taiwanese Hamburgers" which is a pastry type outer with ground pork mince (almost like a samoosa) inside. It wasn't too bad - they guys enjoyed it, and we also had like a pancake filled with ground pork and veggies - again not too bad.

Friday morning we went to the courts to register, only to be told that we couldn't register (as I mentioned above)...

We went back home and we all took a walk around the little town. Friday night for dinner we found a little restuarant called Paspi which sold pasta and pizza - it was actually quite good. We also ordered cheese fries (which I assumed would be french fries with melted cheese or a cheese sauce - no way, it was actually these little potato balls filled with cheese - weird!). Oh and the pizza were only about the width of the top of a coffee mug - so we skipped the pizza!

On Saturday Deana (http://www.mlchome.org/) had a fundraising flea market (not a familiar concept with the Chinese), anyway we spent the day there at the Church, ended up buying lots of books (english) and some toys for the boys and our little princess and some delicious cup cakes, then headed home by train again later that evening (oh, yes, and we had our kitten with us too!)...

I had to take Asia-Faith to the doctors a week ago to have her injections, but she had a cough so the doctor checked her out and said she has Asthma and was wheezing and that her lungs had spasms??? anyway, they put her on a kind of nebulizer thing for a few minutes and then gave me medicine for her.

I took her for a check up again yesterday (Monday), and the doctor says she is fine! Thank God!!! I have to continue the medicine for the next week though, but all is well with her!

Let me tell you the trip to the doctors here is no walk in the park! It is not like you phone your doctor, make an appointment and then go when it is time - no this is like going to Addington or McCords (Government hospital in SA) - you go, take a number and sit and wait!!!! and then wait some more!!!

Fortunately I was with a girl from Church (to translate for me, although the doctor ended up being english thankfully!), anyway this girl Amy knew the nurses there and managaed to get us in after waiting for about an hour or so! Then once you have seen the doctor you go to pay for your meds (take another ticket and wait), and then go fetch the meds from the dispensary - yep, another ticket and another wait!!! The only "up" side to this is that because Asia-Faith is Aborigine she has free medical, which is great! I only had to pay NT$60 which isn't even R20!!!

Enjoy the pics....

A trip to Sandimen and meeting Matt and Molly (and Kim)....

2007-04-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday (21 April) we met up with Molly and Matt and Matt's mom Kim, who are from the USA, and who I met on my yahoo adoption group, and we all went to Sandimen - the Aborigine Cultural Centre.

It was an interesting experience to say the least! We had been once before (before we had Asia-Faith), and we also went with a friend who lives here. This time we went on our own so we had to find it on our own! What fun!!!

We caught a bus to Pingtung and Matt and Molly's train arrived at 10:30 am (they were comming from Tainan), then from there we caught a bus to Sandimen (although not to the centre), then we had to try and find a way to the centre. We found a taxi, but then had to try and explain where we were wanting to go! Well, we had to make a call or 2 to some friends who explained to the taxi driver where we wanted to go - we eventually made it there! We had a wonderful time watching the show and looking around at all the souvenier (sp?) shops!

It meant so much more to us now that we have our own little Ami Aborigine daughter!

Matt and Molly were here in Taiwan to fetch their little boy Malone who they have adopted, and he is from the Paiwan tribe. We didn't get to meet him in person unfortunately as they were only fetching him on the Monday, but we have seen pictures of him and he is absolutely beautiful!

So we all had a wonderful time together, and it was just so awesome to finally meet these friends after chatting for so long in cyberspace!

Enjoy the pics....

Molly and Asia-Faith...

Molly, Matt and Kim...

It's been a while...

2007-04-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

It is now April already and Easter weekend too!

Things here have been going really well. Asia-Faith has really adjusted well to our family! She is truly a little angel. She has her nap at around 10am in the mornings, and I give her her bottle, she lays on her bed with her pillow and a pillowcase which she loves playing with the zipper on it, and once she finishes her bottle, she rolls over and sleeps for about 2 hours.... WOW and she has a similar routine in the evening (sometimes I hold her while she goes to sleep), and then she sleeps right through the night!!!

We are still trying to get her adoption finalised. Things seem to be going slowly in that department. We are now waiting to have a homestudy done and then it all goes to the courts and we await the final adoption decree. So please keep praying that this will all be done smoothly and without any hiccups, and that it is done soon - so we can go home for a visit!!!

We will hopefully be registering for adoption at the end of April, so please keep us in your prayers.

Keanu-Storm is adjusting to not being the "baby" anymore, although there wasn't much adjusting really. He loves Asia-Faith to bits, and if anyone jokingly says that she is going home with them, he practically bursts into tears and grabs onto Asia-Faith's legs! He really adores her (except when she breaks his toys - like his railway tracks... somehow she managed to get hold of 3 of them and snapped them in half - he was so upset as his trains are VERY special to him!!!). He got over it soon enough though!

It is a long weekend here this weekend. Today (Thursday) is known as "Tomb sweeping day", where the children pay respects to their ancestors. They have also declared tomorrow (Friday) a public holiday, so we have a 4 day weekend - only catch is that next Saturday is a "working" day to make up for tomorrow - so there will be school and normal work next Saturday...

Enjoy the pics!

Our trip to Kenting...

One Month Today.... Saturday, 17 March 2007

2007-03-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Asia-Faith has been with us for one month today! Sometimes it feels like she has always been with us...

We all love her so much, and I think she is starting to feel that way towards us too.

It is so wonderful to see how this little girl who came to us last month looking a bit weary of us all, and now whose face lights up at the sight of each of us!

Here is a poem I found, and it sums up how we feel about our little "Princess Angel"....

Today I Kissed an Angel

Today I kissed an angel.

I knew it from the start.

The first time my angel smiled at me;

I gave away my heart.

Today I kissed an angel;

This angel child of mine

Though not of my creation,

My child by God's design.

Today I kissed an angel.

My heart is dancing wild;

Our family, by a miracle;

Blessed by our angel child.

Things she does and enjoys.....

2007-03-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

This has been a good week again. The Princess, aka Asia-Faith, has been doing so well!

She sleeps right through the night AND in her own bed (the boys could learn from her)!

She also loves food, she eats anything that is given to her! She is even learning to say her prayers at mealtimes and puts her hands together and tries and says words (just baby talk - but so cute), and then we all say "Amen" and she nods her head and says something which sounds vaugely like "amen" - very sweet!

She will also nod her head (x2) as if to say "thank you" / "xiexie", when given something.

Asia-Faith also refers to me as "mama" now. If the boys or Jason say give it to "mama", she comes straight to me - it is so wonderful! And if she is walking around looking for me she calls "mama".... She is also holding my fingers - what ? you may ask??? - well, since she has been with us, while I give her her bottle I hold her and always try and get her to hold onto my hand or my finger, and she always resisted, but now for the last few days, she has been holding onto my finger or playing with my hands when she has her bottle, and for me that is GREAT!!!!

The Princess has also shown her little jealous streak! If one of the boys (usually Keanu-Storm) is on my lap, she will come and "cry" by me until I take him off and put her on! And if the boys are giving me a kiss, she will come and give me one too!!!

Well Talis-Rain mentioned again to me today that we still need another 2 sisters, so that they each have one!!!

Keanu-Storm my "nunu" still has his obsession with my mole on my neck!!! He is also learning what it is like to have a younger sibling and not being the youngest anymore - he is having to deal with Asia-Faith knocking down his blocks he has just spent time building, he has to put up with her stealing his pillow, because for some reason she has taken a liking to HIS, much to his dismay, and he will fight for it even though he is not using it at the time, and she is always spooning her food into his bowl or his water!!! And it is so cute to hear him saying "bu Asia, bu" (bu is "no" in Chinese).

Asia-Faith seems to love to sing - I have a "special" song that I have for each of my children that I would sing to them while I was pregnant, and then I would sing it to them when they went to sleep or were upset, or anytime really.

Anyway, Asia-Faith's song is "You are my Sunshine" (chosen by Talis-Rain), and I sing this to her when I am giving her bottle or putting her to sleep, and she tries to sing a long with me - it is very sweet.

Also if we are listening to music and I am singing along, she will try and sing along / hum along with me! I think we have another member of the Jagabags band!!! Being that she is Aborigine (Ami tribe), might be why she enjoys music so much. The Aborigine are very into music, arts and culture - another perfect fit to our family!!!

A few more things about Asia-Faith...

~ She enjoys playing peek-a-boo

~ She loves to "fly" - I throw her up in the air and catch her - she absolutely loves this!

~ She loves her tummy to be tickled, but her bellybutton is very ticklish!!!

~ She loves when we play "tzao lobo", which is kind of like "round and round the garden", on her hand and tickle under her arm!

~ She has started saying "uh oh", like if she is caught doing something she knows she shouldn't be, like sitting at the dinner table with both feet on the table too!!!

~ She says "bye" and "dzai jien" and blows kisses

~ She sometimes covers her mouth and laughs when something is very funny

~ She says "dada"...

Here is a pic of her "flying"...

Rumble and Tumble....

2007-03-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

We had a public holiday on Wednesday, because last week for Chinese New Year, Friday was not actually a holiday, but they decided to make it a holiday so as to get a full 9 days of rest, and so to make up for that day today, Saturday, was a normal work and school day!

On Wednesday we decided to go and spend the morning at the beach, but as soon as we arrived Asia-Faith and Keanu-Storm kind of tripped over each other or something with the result being that Asia-Faith ended up with a bloody nose!

My poor baby, and she had a "thick" lip! She only cried for a few minutes and then was fine! So we continued to enjoy our morning at the beach.

In the afternoon I had an english class to teach, so the whole family came with and we went by bus, and on the way there I was saying to Jason that I cannot wait until Asia-Faith initiates the hugs and kisses and such, and you will not believe it, but that same evening I was in the kitchen and she came in and wrapped her little arms around my legs and then lifted her arms wanting me to pick her up! Isn't that great - God really hears us!!!

Happy Birthday Asia-Faith

2007-02-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

Today Asia-Faith turns 2 years old!

Labour of my Heart

"I would have given anything to be the one to bring you into this world,

have you from day one, but it couldn't be.

Though I didn't bring you here, still I laboured in my tears.

Through the long nights I prayed you would come to me.

You are the labour of my heart Child,

with all my strength I prayed until they placed you in my arms, Child.

Blessed be the maker of bone of other bone.

He made flesh of my desire and today I take you home.

You are the labour of my heart Child."

~ Author Unknown ~

~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS ~

We had a lovely day. We went to church this morning and then after lunch we went to the beach, well actually it is a recreation area on the beach that has swimming pools, places to BBQ, camping sites, mini golf, and live music - it is really great.

We discovered it yesterday, and spent the day there - the kids loved it! Asia-Faith went for her first swim with daddy in the pool, she was a little scared at first, but then got used to it and didn't want to get out.

The boys were sooo excited to finally find a place where they can swim - just in time for summer - so I guess we will be spending a lot of time there this summer....

Then this evening Nana and Papa skyped us to say Happy Birthday to their little granddaughter, and then all the kids fell asleep - wiped out from all the fun today!

Asia-Faith shares her birthday today, with Granny Mouse (Jason's mom), and it was Papa's birthday (my dad) on Friday, 23. What a month of birthday's.

This week has really been great with Asia-Faith - she is really starting to let her little personality shine through. At least she is also getting used to bath times, and doesn't cry anymore when it is time to bath.

Crying...

Crying no more....

She loves to eat and is definately NOT a fussy eater - she will eat anything - although she doesn't seem to like cucumber too much though. Out of all our children, she is the only one who sleeps right through the night - what a blessing! I just wish the boys would learn a thing or two from her!!! LOL

It is so wonderful to see how much she already loves her brothers - her face literally lights up everytime they come into the room!

Gotta love them!

Mama's little monkey's....

The timing of her coming home was really great (and it can only be God's timing and plan), because Jason and the boys had the whole of the week at home with her to get to know her and bond with her. Tomorrow school begins again.....

On another note, we had to buy another scooter, as we cannot go 6 up on a scooter, that would really be pushing it! So now I have a scooter too - boy oh boy oh boy!!!!

Never mind looking out for cars, or scooters going through red lights, what about the bicycles, and any other "moving object" (ie: 3 wheel scooters, wheelchairs, pedestrians, dogs, etc), coming from all directions!!!! LOL

I used to think driving in South Africa was risky, but at least you just had to be careful that no-one was jumping the traffic lights or stop streets, here in Taiwan, they are comming from all sides! And now and again you might get cut off from an old man pushing his wheelchair along - no problem! No road rage here (well I have hit my hooter a few times! Mostly at the dogs, as they seem to have no clue!!!).

Anyway, so I have survived my scooter episode - I take the two smallest with me, and I even have a little chair type of thing that fits on the "floor" of the scooter, between my legs, where Asia-Faith sits - it is really neat! And then Keanu-Storm sits behind me. When in Taiwan.....

Happy Chinese New Year

2007-02-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

Asia-Faith has been with us now for 27 hours. She is really a lovely little girl. Her brothers dote on her, and absolutely adore her!

Today we took a walk with her in her new "pink" pushchair (I finally have pink!). She fell asleep on our way to Church. We didn't make it for the service (we were taking a slow morning with Asia-Faith), but we did make it to wish everyone Happy Chinese New Year. They all say she is so beautiful (of course!), and then the pastor and a few friends all prayed for her (she slept through the whole thing!).

We then came home and I made 2 minute noodles and cheese for lunch - she loved it! Loves to feed herself and I have been told that she will just keep on eating as long as food is in front of her! LOL

Nana and Papa (my mom and dad), called on Skype to meet their new granddaughter! They got to see her and the boys interacting, while all 3 boys were trying to hold her bottle for her! I tell you she is going to have them at her beck and call!!! Needless to say Nana and Papa think she is adorable too, and now want to know when we are coming back to South Africa!

Jason was then going out with the boys (she was going to have a nap), but as soon as she saw them heading out the door, she sat up, pointed to where her shoes and pram are, signalling she wanted to go with! So her and I just rode down in the elevator with her (she seemed to be happy with that, and even waved goodbye to daddy and her brothers!). She then played for a little while and then had the rest of her bottle and fell asleep - such an angel.

"Some would gather money, along the path of life.

Some would gather roses, And rest from worldly strife.

But I would gather children from among the thorns of sin,

I would seek a little child with a big toothless grin.

For money cannot enter into the land of endless day,

And the roses that are gathered soon will wilt away.

But oh, the laughing children, as I cross the sunset sea,

And the gates swing wide to Heaven, I can take them in with me."
~Author Unknown~

Forever Family Day....Saturday, 17 February 2007

2007-02-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

Well, Saturday seemed to take forever to get here, but finally the day arrived, and we were all so excited.

Deana and Luke, with their son Noah, met us at the train station, and I must say it was so great to finally meet Deana in person! What a wonderful family! Being a mom of 3 boys too, Deana knew our boys would need to run off some energy after being cooped up on a train for 2 hours, so we headed to a park for the kids to play for a while...

It was only just after 10am and our meeting was only for around noon. At around noon we headed to the Family Center and waited, and waited and I started getting a bit nervous that maybe they were not going to make it (it is Chinese New Year after all and a Saturday, so the government offices are actually closed), then Deana said not to worry, if they don't arrive, we will take a drive to meet our little girl anyway - I was so worried, I did not want to have to leave Taitung without her, but I knew God would not have brought us this far, to have us go home and wait a little longer!

Well Luke made a few calls, and were told not to worry, but to meet them at 2pm. We took the boys to lunch (we all ate too, by the way!), and then headed to go and meet our daughter!

It was such an unreal moment when we walked into the room - as we walk in the birthmom is holding our little girl, and she looked so small, much smaller than I had expected, even though she had layers of clothing on! She had just been woken from a nap. The birthmom's sister was there and then the Grandmother arrived too.

For me this was such a difficult moment because I just wanted to reach out and pick up this little girl, but at the same time, I knew this was probably the last time the birthmom and family had with her, so I just left her (altough it was really hard!) and let her sit with her birthmom. After lots of discussion with the social worker and Deana and Luke, it was time to leave. Jason picked up Asia-Faith, and I went over to the birthmom and hugged her, and of course those that know me know how hard it is for me not to cry, but of course as I hugged her, I just said "XieXie Ni" (Thank You), and started crying - it was such a bittersweet moment.

I am just so thankfull that we had the opportunity of meeting and taking photos of the birthmom, aunt and grandmother, which was very special.

When it was time to leave, Asia-Faith was quite willing and fine walking out with us, no problem, until she got into the car and probably realised that all the faces she was seeing were strangers - so she started crying a little, so we gave her a little pink stuffed cat that we had bought her and her bottle and after a few minutes she was fine (and of course all the fussing over she was getting from her brother's helped too!)...

We went back to Deana and Lukes house for a while and she played upstairs with toys and her new brothers. I was a little worried about the train ride home (I wasn't sure how she would react, and thought she might be really stressed), however she laughed and played the whole way home! We basically had the whole train carriage to ourselves on the way home - so it was great!

After having got home and ready for bed, I gave her a bottle and she fell asleep in my arms.

Our family has been truly blessed by this little girl, and we thank God daily for bringing her into our lives.

“the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118 vs 23 & 24

~ We are a family now ~

We are a family now, a whole,
Of which you are a part,
And you are just as much our child
As any in our heart.

We do not love you differently,
Nor would we give up less
Of all that life has given us
To bring you happiness.

There is no limit to our love,
No boundary you might cross,
No price you may be asked to payNo need to fear its loss.

We are now one, the six of us,
Windows of one home,
As long as we have life and breath,
You’ll never be alone.

~Nicholas Gordon~

Our little princess forever.... in our lives....in our family.....in our hearts.

The train ride home....

Going to sleep, safe in mama's arms....

"Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, but still miraculously my own -

Never forget - not for a minute - you weren't born under my heart, but in it!"

~Fleur Conkling Hejlinger~

The call....

2007-02-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

On 2nd February 2007, I opened my email to find a message reading “ok, are you ready”, from Deana. My first thought was she had a big fundraiser planned!

Instead, it was a message saying they knew of a little girl who was available for adoption!

I immediately tried to call her, however I couldn’t get through (in all the excitement I had forgotten to dial the area code!). Eventually I got through, and we chatted and I said “yes” we were definitely interested!

Then she told me that if we were committed, she could be home with us by Chinese New Year! (which was only 2 weeks away), and that would mean she would be with us to celebrate her 2nd birthday (25 February).

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” 1 Samuel 1 v 27

A few days passed, with no news. Eventually we were told that we could come to Taitung and fetch her on Saturday, 17 February!

We were all a bit concerned that we would not get train tickets as it was Chinese New Year! Never fear when God is near!!! It just so happens that when we went to book the tickets on Thursday morning, there were only 2 tickets left to Taitung (and we were a family of 5) on Saturday morning, 17 February! That could only be God!!! - no problem - we will take them and take turns sitting!!!

Guess what else??? The carriages are seperate - one was carriage 3 and one was carriage 8 (so we would be separated for the 2hr train ride - no problem!). Turns out we have a wonderful friend, Jack, who accompanied us to the station, and managed to get someone to swop a ticket with us so that we were at least in the same carriage, and then someone else swopped tickets again so we could have 2 seats next to each other - how awesome is that? God is good!

So on 17 February our family of 5 was going to be a family of 6!!!

Child Of Mine

I haven't met you yet or seen your little face,

but in my heart you hold a very special place.

My hopes grow with each passing day,
even though you're miles away.

I know you're there waiting for me,

as I am here waiting to see,

the child God has sent from above,

to make me a mother and share all of my love.

~ Author Unknown ~

The journey begins...

2007-02-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20 v 24

Well, this story started a long time ago, (for me). I really believe that God planted the seed of adoption in my heart when I was a very young girl, and was slowly watering that seed over the years.

When I met my husband and we were discussing children, I let him know that I would like lots of children including an adopted little girl from Asia. God knew the desires of my heart, which is why he sent me the husband he did! We have 3 beautiful boys, and we have moved to the other side of the world (we are from South Africa, but we are now currently living in Taiwan).

A little while after moving to Taiwan, I started researching the possibilities of adopting from Taiwan, however I could not find an agency to work with us as no South African had adopted from Taiwan before (this is what I have been told numerous times), and so they are unfamiliar with the South African law, and therefore unable to assist us. This did not stop me. I then found out it was possible to do a private adoption (without an agency) - the only snag is to find an "adoptable" child yourself, and not speaking Chinese, it was not going to be an easy journey. I had met a few families online who had adopted independently while living in Taiwan, so I knew it was possible.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29 v 11

I then met Deana Pan online while looking through various homeschooling blogs, and I believe it was not through coincidence, but through God. We started chatting online and I then mentioned to her that we were looking into adopting a little girl from Taiwan.

Deana and I had been in touch through these months and I discovered that they also had a children’s home, Morninglight Children’s Home in Taitung and I expressed interest in perhaps helping with fundraisers to help them raise money to buy a piece of land to build a bigger home.

I continued my research for months, joined many adoption yahoo groups, and prayed hard for months! Many times I thought it was never going to happen, but I would remind myself that God would not put the desire in my heart without supplying what was needed to take care of it.

“Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me.” Psalms 55 v 1 & 2

Adoptions start in Heaven.....

God plans adoptions from Heaven,
And he searches the world...... you see,
For people who long to be parents,
People like Daddy and me.

Then, in His own time, He answers,
The prayer they've been praying so long,
And He finds a child who is waiting
To fill their hearts with a song!

You are the child who we prayed for,
So special, so precious, so sweet!
The one who we'll cherish forever
The one who makes our life complete!

~ Genie Graveline ~